title: The relationship between self-care agency, disability levels and factors regarding these situations among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship between self-care agency scores, disability levels and factors regarding these situations among Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by severe to slight synovial joint inflammation that can lead to pain, stiffness and joint destruction with subsequent physical deformities, disabilities and reduced self-care. Self-care is an important component of comprehensive chronic disease management such as rheumatoid arthritis. If patients have high levels of self-care and adhere to rheumatoid arthritis treatment, it can be expected that they will have fewer symptoms and better functional capabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted with 467 rheumatoid arthritis patients who applied at the Rheumatology Outpatient Department of Gaziantep University between September 2008-February 2009. The data collection instruments used in this study were the Demographic Data Form, Health Assessment Questionnaire (including disability index and pain scale) and Self-as-Carer Inventory. The frequency, mean, Student's t-test, one-way anova, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square, correlation and regression analysis were used; p < 0·05 was accepted as statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For patients the self-care agency classification of 13·7% and 86·3% were 'moderate' and 'poor', respectively; while the disability levels of 12·2 51·2 and 36·6% were 'mild', 'moderate' and 'severe', respectively; and their pain average was 'moderate'. It was also determined that, as the patients' self-agency scores declined, their disability levels deteriorated even further and their pain levels increased even more.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion we found that in Turkish patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the higher disability and pain rate were, the lower self-care agency score was.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses should strive to provide individuals with RA the knowledge, skills and resources necessary for active participation in self-care, as this might promote the capacity for self-care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, School of Health, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. oucan@gantep.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ozlem Ucan
authors.initials: OU
authors.lastname: Ovayolu
authors.forename: Nimet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ovayolu
authors.forename: Gülendam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karadag
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D012648:Self Care